Boys' name · peaked in 2002
Nathaniel name popularity since 1925
277,160 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Nathaniel. Half of them were born in 1997 or earlier, so the typical Nathaniel is about 29 years old in 2026. Nathaniel peaked in 2002 as the #62 name for boys, and it ranked #140 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 277,160
- Named Nathaniel, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #140
- for boys in 2025 (2,565 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 1,136 girls · 276,024 boys
- Most popular in
- Alaska
- 1.83× its national share
Peak year is the year Nathaniel made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Nathaniel births per year, 1925–2025
2002 was the biggest year for Nathaniel both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 1971 and 1976, Nathaniel became 2.1× more common, from 1 in 1,460 baby boys to 1 in 710.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Nathaniel's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Nathaniel.
Decade by decade
Babies named Nathaniel in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 45 | 3,888 | – |
| 1930s | 61 | 7,411 | #180 |
| 1940s | 71 | 9,489 | #181 |
| 1950s | 128 | 12,389 | #195 |
| 1960s | 104 | 10,191 | #223 |
| 1970s | 178 | 19,185 | #131 |
| 1980s | 274 | 38,652 | #77 |
| 1990s | 104 | 52,577 | #73 |
| 2000s | 128 | 64,264 | #67 |
| 2010s | 31 | 41,890 | #97 |
| 2020–25 | 12 | 16,088 | #140 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
35.4% of babies named Nathaniel from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Z years (1997–2012). The full split by generation:
Where Nathaniel is most popular
The index compares Nathaniel's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Nathaniel.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1.83× | 755 |
| South Carolina | 1.82× | 7,093 |
| District of Columbia | 1.68× | 2,150 |
| Arizona | 1.51× | 5,425 |
| New Mexico | 1.47× | 2,258 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Nathaniel and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Nathaniel (this page) | 276,024 | 2002 |
| Nathanael | 22,198 | 1998 |
| Nathanial | 10,336 | 1999 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Nathaniel's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Nathaniel.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Nathaniel (2002).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data